This post is written by me on behalf of Geometry Global. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Acorn Influence, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Anyone with kids can tell you that cold season isn’t any particular month for families and they can hit your family at any time. While there is no doubt that cold are more commonly occurring during the winter, don’t be left caught off guard when a cold sneaks up on you or your child during the other months. Spring is in full swing here and everyone is greatly enjoying the warmer weather. However, a hour gymnastic class this past Monday left my two year old with a runny nose and cough. I was so grateful that I always make sure to stay prepared for colds all year! Here are some simple tips and advice to ensure that your family is always prepared for colds and flu, not matter what time of the year.

Stock the medicine cabinet: For so many years we had the habit of waiting to we were all sick to go out and get the medicine we needed. This left one of the sick adults having to drag themselves to the store for cold relief items… that is never fun. So always make sure that you take time when you are healthy to replenish the medicine cabinet. You will want to include fever and pain relief medicines, decongestants, antihistamines, cough medicines, nasal spray and cough drops. 

Always have health supplies on hand: Items like basal thermometers and humidifiers are something you should always have on hand in case you or your child comes down with a cold. You will also want to have disinfectant wipes or spray on hand to keep from spreading cold germs throughout the house and other members of the family. Have plenty of hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial soaps around the house and encourage everyone to be extra vigilant about washing their hands.

Comfort foods & drinks: It is always nice to have those soothing drinks and cold friendly foods on hand when someone comes down with a cold. Make sure your pantry is stocked with cans of chicken noodle soup, saltines, Gatorade, ginger-ale and teas (green teas are best for colds, especially ginger tea.) We also make sure to keep plenty of cases of bottled water in stock. Fluids are extremely important when you have a cold or flu and dehydration will actually make you feel worse… so push those fluids!

Don’t forget the tissues! I get emails every few months from my children’s school teachers asking for more donations of tissues for their classrooms. There is no denying that tissues are the most frequently used product when you are suffering from a cold. Just keep in mind… not all tissues are created equal and there are plenty out there that are not great quality.

While stocking up on tissues recently, I picked up a package of the new Kleenex Anti-Viral tissues. What really stood out to me about these particular tissues is that they actually help stop the spread of cold & flu viruses. The active ingredients in the middle layer of the tissue disrupts the viruses’ protective coating and kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses* in the tissue within 15 minutes!

As a mother of three children my first initial thought when one of them catches a cold is “oh goodness I hope the others don’t catch it!” Having a product that both helps your child with a cold and then stop it from spreading to the rest is a mother’s dream!

Disclaimer: *In the tissue in 15 minutes.  Virucidal against: Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2 (Rhinoviruses are the leading cause of the common cold); Influenza A and Influenza B (causes of the flu); Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV – the leading cause of lower respiratory infection in children).